Attract, recruit & empower quality candidates with 2015 ... · Recruit North Americans by networking for referrals & branding your jobs as their next big career move Train your recruiting

Attract, recruit & empower quality candidates with 2015 insights

from one of the world’s largest studies of recent job changers

Candidates are more open to your jobs now than

in the past 5 years yet it’s still hard to get their

attention. To help you cut through the clutter &

appeal to people’s deepest motives for changing

jobs, we asked 10.5K+ LinkedIn members why

they switched. We discovered a wealth of

information to help you:

1. Attract: Motivate with the right messages

2. Recruit: Prioritize the right sources of hire

3. Empower: Retain those who would’ve stayed

Learn more job changer insights inside.

Why read this report

Recruit North Americans by networking for referrals &

branding your jobs as their next big career move

Train your recruiting team to network for referrals, the most popular & unique way people discover their new job

Brand your jobs as someone’s next big career opportunity, the #1 reason talent in the US & Canada changes jobs

Showcase your talent brand: The #1 obstacle to changing jobs is not knowing what it’s like to work somewhere

Small is the new big: North Americans are flocking to smaller organizations

Learn to match transferrable skills: 1 in 3 North Americans who changed jobs, changed careers entirely (among those surveyed)1

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Why & How People Change Jobs In North America 3 1 “Career Changers” defined as those who changed functions and switched companies .

To see why & how people in North America changed

jobs, we surveyed 5.3K+ recent job changers

Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015).

Surveyed those who moved to a new company between Dec 2014 and Mar 2015.

North America includes Canada & the US.

North America

5,344

Brazil

167

Europe

2,993

India

400

Asia

484

Australia

New Zealand

719

Hispanic

Latin America

425

Why & How People Change Jobs In North America 4

1 Attract

Tap into what makes people in North America

tick for your jobs:

Brand your jobs as someone’s next big

career opportunity, the #1 reason North

Americans change jobs

Showcase your talent brand: North

Americans’ #1 obstacle is not knowing what

it’s like to work somewhere

Small is the new big: Attract North

Americans flocking to smaller organizations


Brand your jobs & organization as someone’s next big

opportunity, the #1 reason North Americans change jobs

48%*

45%*

41%*

40%*

34%

34%

45%

41%

36%

34%

36%

32%

I was concerned about the lack ofopportunities for advancement

I was unsatisfied with the leadership ofsenior management

I was unsatisfied with the work environment/ culture

I was unsatisfied with the compensation /benefits

I wanted more challenging work

I was unsatisfied with therewards/recognition for my contributions

North America Global

Why they left: Concern for career advancement Top reasons people left their old job (N. America vs global average)

Why they joined: Hope for career opportunity Top reasons people joined their new job (N. America vs global average)

63%*

60%*

50%*

46%*

45%

45%*

59%

54%

47%

42%

47%

39%

Stronger career path / more opportunity

Better compensation/benefits

Better fit for my skills and interests

More ability to make an impact

The work sounded more challenging

I believed in the company's overall direction


Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015). Showing N. America vs global average.

“Which of the following contributed to your decision to leave your previous employer?”

“Which of the following contributed to your decision to accept the job at your current company?”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (N. America more likely to cite reason than global average).


Recruiters have the power to address North Americans’

#1 obstacle to changing jobs

#1 job changing obstacle: Not knowing what it’s really like to work somewhere N. America vs global average


“What are the biggest obstacles/challenges when changing jobs?”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (N. American job changers more likely to cite obstacle than the global average).

54%*

47%

27%

25%

23%

23%

49%

45%

27%

24%

23%

23%

Not knowing what it's really like to work at the company

Applying to the company and not hearing back

Receiving inconsistent or unclear communication from the company during the

recruiting process

Facing difficulty negotiating my salary, title, role, etc.

Being inaccurately assessed on my qualifications/ fit during the interview process

Getting rejected by a company without a fair chance



Improve your candidate experience by addressing the

distinct pain points of US vs Canadian job changers

US Applying to the company and not hearing back

Inconsistent / unclear communication Getting rejected without a fair chance

Not knowing which job to apply to

Canada Having false assumptions

or stereotypes made by interviewers

Obstacles/Challenges when changing jobs Unique differences between the US vs Canada

Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015). Showing US vs Canada average.

“What are the biggest obstacles/challenges when changing jobs?”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (one country is more likely to face an obstacle than the other).


Bolster your diversity recruiting by appealing to

women’s desire for better opportunities & leadership

Why women left: Career advancement & leadership Unique differences between women & men in N. America

Why women joined: Organizational pride & work/life balance Unique differences between women & men in N. America

Women Men

Sample Size 2427 2858

Better compensation/benefits 59% 62%*

More ability to make an impact 44% 47%*

It was a company I felt more proud to work for 41%* 37%

Better work/life balance 41%* 35%

I felt more aligned to the company's values 36%* 33%

Better superiors 36%* 31%

Better location (e.g. commute, city, country) 34%* 30%

Better colleagues 27%* 24%

More flexibility with work arrangements 26%* 22%

Women Men


I was concerned about the lack of opportunities

for advancement 50%* 47%

I was unsatisfied with the leadership of senior

management 48%* 43%

I was unsatisfied with the work environment /

culture 45%* 38%

I was unsatisfied with the rewards/recognition

for my contributions 36%* 33%

I was unsatisfied with the work/life balance 28%* 24%

I was concerned about the lack of innovation 17% 20%*

I had location concerns (e.g., difficult commute,

I moved) 16%* 13%

I had a poor relationship with my supervisor 16%* 13%

Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015). Showing average of women vs men in N. America.

“Which of the following contributed to your decision to leave your previous employer / accept the job at your current company?“

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (women are more likely than men to cite this reason).


Recruit Millennials with advancement opportunities &

better pay

North American Millennials were more active as job seekers Unique differences between generations in N. America

…and thus had more reasons to leave Unique differences between generations in N. America

Millennials (18-35)

Gen X (36-50)

Baby

Boomers (51+)

Sample Size 2700 1846 734

I was concerned about the lack of opportunities for

advancement 55%BC 46%C 31%

I was unsatisfied with the compensation / benefits 47%BC 35%C 29%

I wanted more challenging work 42%BC 29%C 21%

I was unsatisfied with the rewards/recognition for my

contributions 37%BC 32%C 28%

I was unsatisfied with the work/life balance 29%BC 24%C 19%

I believe the job was a poor fit for my skills / interests 24%BC 18% 18%

I was concerned about the lack of innovation 22%BC 17%C 14%

I was interested in trying out a new industry 21%BC 10%C 7%

Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015). Showing generational averages in N. America.

“Which of the following contributed to your decision to leave your previous employer?“ ABC Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (one generation more likely to cite this reason than another).

Millennials (18-35)

Gen X

(36-50)

Baby

Boomers (51+)


Active 67%BC 58% 57%

Passive 33% 42%A 43%A


1 in 3 who switched jobs want a big career change:

Know how to match transferable skills

Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015). Showing N. America average of survey takers.

“Which of the following best describes your previous role (prior to your recent job change)?” & “Which of the following best describes your current role?”

“Lateral Movers” defined as those who stayed in the same function and switched companies. May have changed titles or received a promotion at the

new company.

“Career Changers” defined as those who changed functions and switched companies.

Career Changers New company

Different function

(among those we surveyed)

Lateral Movers New company

Same function

(among those we surveyed) 67% 33%


Others leave to join smaller organizations, as seen on

LinkedIn’s platform

Large organizations lose North American talent Net # of North American job changers joining/leaving organizations

with 5K+ people

…as small organizations gain Net # of North American job changers joining/leaving organizations

with <500 people

Organizations with 5K+ people Organizations with < 500 people

Source: LinkedIn member data looking at the number of people who changed companies in 2014.

We analyzed the behavior of millions of N. American members on LinkedIn. Specifically we looked at those who changed companies in

2014 and may have changed functions or industries. We did NOT include internal promotions/transfers.

5 ways to tap into what makes North Americans tick for

your jobs

Offer career growth, not jobs: Appeal to the #1 motive for changing jobs. Close candidates on career opportunity not compensation. Describe the work and expected results, not the background requirements and personality traits to be

checked off.1

Create & share talent brand content: Candidates’ biggest frustration is not knowing what it’s like to work somewhere. Share

content about what it’s really like to be an employee – perks, warts, and all.

Strengthen your diversity recruitment strategy: Recruit women by highlighting better career opportunities, leadership, and work/life balance. Attract Millennials by emphasizing advancement opportunities, better pay & work that challenges them.

Don’t dismiss career changers: A whopping 1 in 3 people changed careers2 (among those who took our survey). Be open to recruiting them. Assess how their transferrable skills and accomplishments apply to your role.

Infuse your employer value proposition with small organization traits: People in the US & Canada are flocking to smaller organizations. Recruit entrepreneurially-minded professionals by emphasizing small organization traits related to challenge,

impact, vision, and culture.

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1 Lou Adler & LinkedIn Recruiting Master Class webcast series, (Apr-Jun 2015). 2 Career changer defined as someone who moved to a new company and changed their function.

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2 Recruit Tailor your strategy to recruit the best people

in North America:

Train your recruiting team to network for

referrals, the most popular & unique way

North Americans discover their new job

Learn to match transferrable skills: 1 in 3

North Americans who changed jobs,

changed careers entirely


Train your recruiting team to network for referrals, the

#1 unique way North Americans discover their new job

1 Referrals / Someone I know*

2 3rd party website / online job board

3 Social professional networks

4 A 3rd party recruiter / headhunter / staffing firm contacted me

5 Hiring manager outreach

North Americans are more likely to rely on referrals than the global average Top ways people in N. America first discover the new job

Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015). Showing N. America average.

“How did you first read, see or hear about the new job opportunity (your current position)?”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (Asia more likely to hear about the new job through this channel than the

global average).


Recruit North American women & Millennials through

online career channels

Millennials (18-35)

Gen X (36-50)

Baby

Boomer (51+)


From someone I knew at the company 27% 30%* 33%*

Third-party website or Online job boards 17%* 12% 12%

Social professional networks 14%* 11% 10%

Third-party recruiter / Staffing 9% 14%* 13%*

On the company's public career website 10%* 6% 5%

Millennials are also more likely to use online career channels Unique differences between different generations in N. America

Women are more likely to use online career channels Unique differences between different genders in N. America

Women Men


From someone I knew at the company 26% 31%*

Third-party website or Online job boards 17%* 12%

Third-party recruiter / Staffing 10% 13%*

Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015).Showing averages of N. American genders & generations.

“How did you first read, see or hear about the new job opportunity (your current position)?”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (one gender / generation is more likely to use a channel than the other(s)).


Position your talent brand competitively for aggressive

US job changers who interview at 1+ organizations

US Yes – 50%*

No – 50%

Canada Yes – 44%

No – 56%*

Did you interview at more than one company? Unique differences between the US vs Canada


“When interviewing for the new job opportunity (your current position), were you also interviewing at other companies?”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (one country is more likely to say yes or no than the other).

US Higher – 76%*

Canada Higher – 68%


Make them stay with competitive pay in the US where

job changers are more likely to get a pay increase

Compared to my previous role, my current compensation is… Unique differences between the US vs Canada


“How does the compensation package offered for your current role compare to that of your previous role? Please consider your compensation package

to include base salary and bonuses. Compared to my previous role, my current compensation is… ”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (one country is more likely to get higher pay than the other).


Strengthen your active candidate recruitment strategy

to capture highly active job changers

62%*

38%

59%

41%

Active

Passive


North Americans are more active as job seekers N. America vs global average

North Americans are harder to please Why they left: N. America vs global average

48%*

45%*

41%*

40%*

34%

34%

45%

41%

36%

34%

36%

32%

I was concerned about the lack of

opportunities for advancement

I was unsatisfied with the leadership of senior

management

I was unsatisfied with the work environment /

culture

I was unsatisfied with the compensation /

benefits

I wanted more challenging work

I was unsatisfied with the rewards/recognition

for my contributions


Source: LinkedIn survey, Why & How People Change Jobs, (Mar 2015). Showing % active vs passive candidates in N. America vs global average.

“Before you learned about the new job opportunity (your current position), how would you classify your job search status?”

“Which of the following contributed to your decision to leave your previous employer?”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (N. America more likely to be passive / use this channel than global average).

4 ways to tailor your recruiting strategy to North

American job changers

Invest in referrals: It’s the top way people in North America first discover their new job.

Start every search assignment with the question: “Who knows my candidate?”

Use LinkedIn to search connections’ connections.

Ask, “Who’s the best person you know in (field)?”

Don’t call anyone who’s not a recommended top performer.

Mention the referrer to maximize your call back rate.

On the call, only ask questions that get a “Yes” such as, “Would you be open to discussing a career opportunity?”

Develop a deep network by connecting with all candidates regardless of the outcome.1

Recruit women & Millennials through online career channels: Women & Millennials are more likely to use digital resources to change jobs,

so invest in these sources to reach them.

To maximize referrals, encourage hiring managers to be brand ambassadors on LinkedIn: Looking at employee profiles is the #1 career

activity on LinkedIn. Encourage your hiring managers to refresh their LinkedIn profiles so their contacts are inspired to work at your

organization. Tap into their networks by asking them to share open roles on social media.

Know your talent pool & uncover hidden gems: Know how many people are in your target talent pool by using essential job criteria to

search for them. To uncover hidden talent pools, use Search Insights in LinkedIn Recruiter to view your talent pool by company, school,

location, skills, and more.

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3

Why & How People Change Jobs In North America 20 1 Lou Adler, LinkedIn Talent Blog, “How To Get More Referrals To Maximize Quality Of Hire,” (May 2015).

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http://talent.linkedin.com/blog/index.php/2015/05/how-to-get-more-referrals-in-order-to-maximize-quality-of-hire

Retain your best North American employees

and prevent the dreaded two-weeks notice:

38% of North Americans who left might

have stayed

3 Empower


Over 1/3 of North Americans said their employer could

have persuaded them to stay

People in North America might have considered staying, but most were set on leaving N. America vs global average

9%

49%

42%

10%

51%*

38%

I don't know

Would not have stayed

Would have stayed



“Is there anything your previous employer could have done to get you to stay?”

* Marks a statistically significant difference at the 90% confidence level (people in N. America were less likely to have stayed than the global average).

4 ways to retain your best people in the US & Canada

Pave strong career paths & highlight advancement opportunities: Your fast-moving employees want career roadmaps and challenging work. If you set clear expectations and give them visibility into opportunities that help them advance their

career or skills, they are likely to be more engaged and productive. Train managers to hold monthly career development

meetings, open your new job requisitions to employees first, and invest to train employees in critical new skills.

Show them the money (and value): Look into fresh compensation structures and unique lifestyle benefits that reinforce how

your company truly values employee’s time, careers and commitment. Get your compensation team to provide competitive pay and offer stay-worthy perks on the job.

Recognize professional accomplishments, both big and small: A little thanks goes a long way. Recognizing and celebrating talent for their accomplishments makes them feel valued, ultimately building motivation and trust. Train managers

to write thank you notes to their team members and celebrate meaningful milestones.

Create an inspiring culture that invests in long-term relationships: As Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, and Chris Yeh

discuss in their New York Times Bestseller, The Alliance, “a business without trust and loyalty is a business without long-term

thinking.” Use their framework to build trust and investment with your employees. Engage your employees with “tours of duty” or a defined assignment with success criteria and mutually beneficial outcomes. Write it down and check on progress regularly.

1

2

3

4

Source: LinkedIn tip sheet, 3 Ways To Increase Employee Retention, (Aug, 2015). Why & How People Change Jobs In North America 23

https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencasnocha

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisyeh

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisyeh

http://www.theallianceframework.com/

People in the US & Canada are leaving their

jobs in search of better career opportunities.

Yet recruiting leaders still have a hard time

getting quality candidates to respond. Cut

through the clutter by showing how your jobs &

talent brand connect with people’s deepest

career aspirations. Reach out to them through

friends, family & former colleagues they trust.

Attract & recruit the 75% of global job

changers who used LinkedIn to inform their

career decision. When you offer career growth

through the right channels, you’ll transform

your candidates’ careers – and your own.

Offer career

growth, not jobs

Methodology We surveyed 10,536 people who changed companies between Dec 2014 and Mar 2015, as self reported on their LinkedIn profiles and confirmed in the

survey. We invited LinkedIn members to participate in this survey through an e-mail invite sent by LinkedIn in March 2015. We offered the survey in English

only without incentives. We did not weight the data. The theoretical margin of error for this survey was +/- 1% at the 90% to 95% confidence interval and is

higher for sub-groups.

• North America includes Canada & the USA.

• European countries surveyed: United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Romania, Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Greece,

Switzerland, Finland, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Poland, Turkey, Hungary, Norway, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Ukraine, Russian Federation,

Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Latvia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Estonia, Iceland, Georgia, Albania & Belarus.

• Asian countries surveyed: Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, China (including Hong Kong & Taiwan), Japan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,

Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Kazakhstan & Nepal.

• Hispanic Latin American countries surveyed: Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela,

Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Uruguay, El Salvador, Guatemala, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bahamas, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Belize, Haiti, Nicaragua &

Suriname.

• ANZ includes Australia & New Zealand.

For the company size change analysis, we analyzed the job changing behaviors of 7M LinkedIn members globally by looking at members who changed

companies (i.e. members who departed one company and moved to a different company) between January and December of 2014. Anyone who was

promoted within their company or transferred to a new team internally was not taken into account in this report.

To determine where people moved from / to by company size, we grouped members by their previous company size and separately their new current

company size. Once grouped, we compared the overall previous and current company size groups by net movement during 2014 to calculate net increases

or decreases.

The results of this analysis represent the world as seen through the lens of LinkedIn data. As such, it is influenced by how members chose to use the site,

which can vary based on professional, social, and regional culture, as well as overall site availability and accessibility. These variances were not accounted

for in the analysis. Additionally, nationality and visa status are not fields included in the LinkedIn profile. Therefore, we cannot make any inferences on the

citizenship of our members who were included in this analysis.

Content Marketing Manager

LinkedIn Talent Solutions

Esther enjoys connecting people

with opportunities using her

marketing, analytics, and design

chops. She’s excited to work at

the intersection of recruiting &

technology to help people reach

their full potential doing work they

love.

Strategic Research Consultant


Allison is an experienced researcher

on LinkedIn’s Insights team. She

uses survey data to tell stories about

what motivates people when

considering jobs.

Research Associate

LinkedIn

Akansha has a deep

understanding of LinkedIn data

which enables her

to analyze key

audiences for a variety

of research studies.

Insights Analyst

Linkedin Talent Solutions

Bo loves working with data

and enjoys being a business partner

to multinational companies. She’s

skilled in business analytics,

consulting and reporting and

experienced in government policy.

John Boley, Stephanie Harrison, and Nayomi Alexander in LinkedIn’s Customer Success Organization.

Authors

Contributors Why & How People Change Jobs In North America 26

©2015 LinkedIn Corporation. All Rights Reserved.


Attract, recruit & empower the best people for your business with LinkedIn. Get access to quality candidates – active and passive,

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Attract, recruit & empower quality candidates with 2015 ... · Recruit North Americans by networking for referrals & branding your jobs as their next big career move Train your recruiting